


Wishbone

by baccuroth (orphan_account)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:33:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2385206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/baccuroth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mélange of canon and alternate universe Eruri ficlets. "That is where the evening / splits in half, Henry, / love or death. / Grab an end, pull hard, / and make a wish." (from Richard Siken's 'Wishbone')</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

he’d always been a strange child. the activities that enchanted his peers held no sway over his attention. instead, erwin read. he devoured books like air, always had one tucked under his arm and it always raised the brows of inquisitive adults. “a child your age shouldn’t be reading about serial killers.” the thing was, erwin felt akin to them. he understood that empty place in their soul because he had it himself. it wasn’t until years later, so much blood sticking beneath his nails, that he found something to fill that emptiness. slim and grey-eyed and perfect. levi, with his sliver cuts to fatal arteries. not a drop of blood wasted. stainless steel and stainless hands and stainless shirt cuffs. even with so much practice, erwin was a messy killer; blood got everywhere. ”your signature,” levi pointed out after they’d fucked one night. erwin’s hand had rested between levi’s nipples and felt the warm beating of his very human heart. after each time, levi would perch himself on erwin’s knee and scrape the blood from around his cuticles, kissing each one once it had been meticulously cleaned.

"may i watch you some time?" erwin had asked over a year earlier and levi had always kept it in mind. he wanted to present him with the perfect person who had slipped through justice’s noose. a woman had been acquitted on the death of her son but fifteen years of forensics experience had tuned levi’s eye and he was able to read between the lines. no one had waited around long enough to watch the fingerprint bruises develop on the back of the four-year-old’s neck. this would be his first gift to erwin. he kept a room in his basement for this purpose, well lit and well ventilated, with everything in its place and a steel examining table in the center. the woman’s hands twisted in their restraints and levi regarded her for a long moment. his eyes met hers, as cold and flashing as the sharp, spotless scalpel in his hand. "do you think your son was this afraid when you drowned him?" the woman sobbed around the gag in her mouth, eyes clenched and lashes darkening with tears. levi made the cuts and inserted the tubes. he hummed a french lullaby that his aunt, whose generous inheritance afforded him this gorgeous house with the private stretch of wood out back, had taught him as a child while he watched the woman bleed out. erwin stood and walked over, his tall form casting a shadow across the table. "so precise," he praised, resting his hands on levi’s shoulders. "i wish it never ended; a mobius strip of just deserts." the woman’s eyes cracked open and a last breath rattled out from around the gag. erwin leaned close, nose to levi’s ear. "how long until you dispose of her?" "a few hours." levi glanced at the clock. "i put a roast in the over before you got here. it should be done by now." "i knew this wasn’t the only surprise you had for me." erwin touched his fingertips to the dead woman’s palm before running his hand over levi’s stomach. "you can pick out the wine as well." "hmm." erwin kissed his neck, sucking a bruise into levi’s warm skin as his eyes met the woman’s. an arm tightened around levi’s waist and he whisked him away upstairs where it was warm and bright with life.

* * *

nails scratched his thighs, catching on hair with a delicious pull. even with the steady rock of his hips against erwin’s ass, levi was able to lean forward and touch everything he could reach. his fingers incited erwin, making him tighten or gasp or a myriad of things that made levi thrust faster or linger longer. he licked his lips and his spine arched. levi took advantage and slipped his hands beneath the small of erwin’s back. he leaned forward to press against him, rutting in long, slow waves. erwin’s fingers tore through his hair, scrabbling across his scalp as levi touched just right, deep and hard. levi’s kisses burned him and the hands crossed over the small of his back were brands, making him until there was no doubt as to where and to whom he belonged. “ha. ha,” he huffed and levi pushed up until he could take a nipple into his mouth, worrying the tip between his teeth until erwin hissed. he soothed it with short strokes of his tongue, ass clenching as he came. erwin’s fingers clawed between levi’s shoulder blades and he moaned shamelessly at the hand around his cock, milking him dry until it bordered on pain. “gods,” he muttered. levi’s touch was back on his sides and thighs, tracing every tingling muscle. 

* * *

erwin’s hands cup his face, thumbs smoothing along the creamy surface. he kisses him with a fever, months apart bringing everything to a boil inside him. he hasn’t bothered to undress although levi lies naked beneath him. one hand leaves, dipping into lube and pressing inside. levi’s body tightens but erwin shushes it into relaxing. “let them in, lee.” levi nods. erwin can’t resist the tongue flicking out to wet dry lips and he takes it into his mouth as his fingers dig deep. he fucks him hard, almost merciless, but levi writhes, pressing up against him, whispering  _fuck, erwin, god_  into his mouth. “i saw you everywhere in the desert. when i had the time, i touched myself with your name on my lips.” levi hums, jerking when erwin’s fingers hook hard and find what they’re looking for. “are you going to come for me, lee?” “oui,” levi gets out and then his body twists into itself out of pleasure. erwin’s fingers move even after levi orgasms, but he knows when to stop. his fingers slid free, massaging until levi all but coos. he wants to worship him, everything between mussed hair and wriggling toes. he lays a hand over levi’s stomach, drops kisses there, his favorite part of his husband’s body.

* * *

the apotheosis of erwin smith

levi tames the trembling of his lips by pressing them to the hot weight of erwin’s cock. his fingers try to find flesh but only succeed in trying to pick apart the weave of his shirt. erwin’s fingers slide between his, ground him. words and should-haves and fuck-this-life clog his throat only to leave his lips like dry vomit. erwin shushes him, tightens his hold. “it’s alright, levi.” ‘nonono.’ precome burns the cracks in his lips but it could just as well be from his tears. ‘no, it isn’t.’ he worships, a shadow at erwin’s dimming altar. it is littered with corpses and the husks of candles levi has kept lit with burnt fingers. he has sharpened so many bones into weapons as he prays, never wavering between devotion and apostasy. his faith has always been devout. the fingers leave his only to alight on the back of his skull. ‘you are absolved, my prophet,’ the touch says. erwin comes in his mouth, sacrifice and sacrament and blasphemy. the shadow stands, turns away from the corpses and the candles. levi rests his head on erwin’s thigh and waits for a dawn he has no desire to meet.

* * *

erwin knows levi won’t always be with him. he had hoped, certainly, but the possibility of losing him sooner than he likes has been a reality since his diagnosis. levi had been silent in the car once they left the doctor’s office and he wouldn’t let erwin touch him as if his cancer were contagious. erwin really isn’t prepared when levi rolls over in bed, left hand to left hand, running his thumb over erwin’s ring. “will you hold me, erwin?” it’s three weeks after their fifteenth wedding anniversary. some people didn’t live long enough to find someone to marry but erwin had fifteen years with the love of his every possible life. he blindly puts his book on the nightstand and waits patiently for levi to climb into his arms. they talk about everything. every date they’ve been on. every fight they’ve had. how being with one another had been completion. erwin takes deep breaths as levi’s slow and by morning, they stop completely. levi looks at rest. he looks no different from the day erwin said he would love him and care for him forever. he had hoped that would have been longer than fifteen years but erwin is no fool; he knows he isn’t in charge of these things. the room fills with the light of morning. erwin reaches for the phone without taking his eyes off levi’s face, useless items scattering and shattering on the floor. “yes, i need…” erwin pauses and takes a deep breath, trying to stop the trembling of the voice as he continues.

* * *

levi had discovered he had a talent for flexibility when he was a child - slipping in and out of closed-off areas in the underground - but he never really thought he would be putting it to use in this way. “how do they feel?” erwin had run his fingers under the band of leather high on levi’s thigh. ”not bad.” levi looked over his shoulder as erwin trailed innocent fingers over his ass in order to check the other side. “i wonder what they feel like on naked skin.” that was how he found himself in his current position, toes digging into his scalp as erwin licked him open. large, warm hands cradled his ass as a broad tongue painted him wet. “you taste good.” levi felt his ears burn. his hand jumped slightly when it met erwin’s on his thigh. erwin’s tongue teased and swirled and levi chanced messing up his hair just to give him a look as debauched as his actions. “i think i should take you like this some time.” he ran a finger along the tense muscles of levi’s thighs and calves, watched his wet hole glisten and wink. “would you like that, levi? i think i would touch bottom. you know what happens when i do that.” levi thrashed and scratched but he loved every second of it, hissed for more. erwin knelt down again, applied his tongue once more. his worship ended with kisses to levi’s perineum, each ball sucked into the warmth of his mouth, fingers digging beneath the bands of the thigh highs to scratch shaking, sweaty skin. “you’re so good to me, levi. i don’t think we’ll go with this option after all.” levi pushed himself up, groaned with delight as his legs dangled over the edge of the desk. “why not?” ”i won’t be able to focus on anything else if i see you in those out on the field.” he pressed a kiss to levi’s nose before going about the room to gather up the remaining pieces of the rejected uniform.

* * *

erwin’s head won’t stop throbbing, just behind his eyes. it throws phosphenes into the air with every slow, mechanical blink. something cold touches the back of his hand. “you hit your head on the side of a building, you ass.” “ah, levi.” erwin tries to lift himself up but pain shoots to every part of him and he blissfully sinks back into the sheets. levi looks refreshed, dressed in a white shirt rolled up to his elbows beneath a wine-colored vest. it’s the same thing he’d worn when they first met, all those years ago in the underground. there’s a knock at his door. “come in.” “hello, erwin. how are you feeling?” hanji sits down in levi’s chair. ”where did levi go? he was just… here?” hanji only shakes their head. “come on, erwin. time for a check up. levi, huh?” hanji pauses, as if something is caught in their throat. “how come you don’t sleep beside me anymore?” it’s been months since the failed mission and levi’s side of the bed remains cold. levi never answers. he disappears when someone else enters the picture. “erwin. are you still seeing levi?” “yes? i asked him to relay a few messages to you. did you do as he said?” “erwin? are you well enough to go for a walk?” “it has been a while. come along, levi.” hanji pauses as they rise from their seat but remains silent. it’s a beautiful day full of clarity and light. hanji takes him to a field of simple markers sunk into the ground. many are not even engraved. they lead him to one that stands upright; levi sits on its smooth, carved top. his feet, crossed at the ankle and kicking like an amused child’s, obscure the name and date of death on the stone. his own grave marker. more elaborate than any other, it’s only fitting that humanity’s strongest be thusly honored in death. “i’m sorry, erwin. it happened right after you hit your head and fell unconscious. he was trying to slow you down and got picked right out of the air. there wasn’t much to bury.” erwin reaches out and touches the perfectly-tied laces of levi’s polished shoes.

* * *

he’s drowning in air. crisp and clear and stained with the scent of erwin’s blood. levi tears his cravat loose. “i’m fine. i’m fine.” a mantra, a litany, a prayer that levi cannot believe in. there are flashing lights, the sounds of cars full of living people tearing past in the darkness. levi can feel everything in his body down to the shiver of blood through arteries, veins, capillaries. “erwin, please.” his fingers are barely touching his arm. erwin’s skin burns. he is silent. levi won’t believe that he is shattered beyond fixing or worse. he cannot bring himself to say it. there are so many good four-letter words: love, home, life. there is one so ugly that levi tries to push it away when the blurred figures arrive. they flash into giants with grins and bloodied teeth, naked, heaving bodies that amble almost comically. two lives blur but levi doesn’t recognize the first. he only knows this one where a door is wrenched open and someone makes a sound of accepting disappointment. all in a day’s work. for levi, it’s every horrible thing he can imagine. he loses feeling and smiles. maybe, he isn’t as untouched as he thought and maybe - pleaseplease _please -_ he won’t be separated from erwin for long. another four-letter word: mine. yes.  _yes_. levi’s throat floods with blood. the giants are back and they pluck him from the car like a half-petalled daisy. he can still taste erwin’s kiss, feel the wind between monolithic trees. teeth around his neck - fingers searching for a pulse - and everything is light. erwin’s sweat on his skin, a feeling levi doesn’t mind. “neither stood a chance, did they?” the fingers fall away. these giants are men on a busy highway. “no. i hope it was quick, though.” no. the man with a goatee and mustache doesn’t think so but he doesn’t say as much. his partner wouldn’t understand. few people ever do.

* * *

"the only future i can promise you is that of a corpse." erwin had said that when he was drunk, the only time words spilled from his lips like so many dried albeit fragrant petals. levi had only smiled and stared into the bottom of his glass. they had fucked that night - erwin remembers, the first time - and he regrets the quickness of it. levi deserves something better than a premature release and erwin’s liquor-sick spit on every part of him but his lips. there is a titan nearby, not far off by how loud its footfalls are to erwin’s finely-tuned ear. all he can think about is levi and the drunken promise. at least he’s going to make good on it. at least he can give levi that. the forest grows as still as it is green and erwin makes little noise as a hand picks him up. it must be quick when there’s no fear throwing the body off the cliff of life and into a roiling sea of panic and death. erwin feels limp and useless as a doll and he swallows the taste of bile in his throat only for the titan to open its hand. "erwin." "no, levi. it isn’t time to get up yet. i want to stay here with you." "erwin!" he opens his eyes and sees him. levi is standing on the shoulder of a titan, one hand wrapped in its long, dark hair. eren’s eyes are violently green in the shadows given off by the leaves but levi’s eyes burn brighter somehow. he makes his way down, eren holding his other hand out for levi to jump onto. levi leans over him, checks for injuries before burrowing against erwin’s side. "you scared the shit out of me. good thing our pet managed to find you before another titan did." "i think i’m broken." it hurts to breathe but levi is a wonderful warmth against him. "i’ll take a broken lover over the corpse of one."


	2. Chapter 2

all things bow to death. good boys and bad alike succumb to his touch, all ice and fever. even the king of hell stands little chance against his smoky breath and china doll face. only hell has seen behind that mask. it is even more beautiful, a smudge of all things terrible. “time has passed.” the voice of the fallen, echoing with a hundred thousand souls. “i would have waited longer. i understand how war works. so many lives to fill your pockets with.” death laughs, a bouquet of sweet rot. “it will be over soon and then we may feast on our victories.” hell thinks of death seated on his cock, split open as he dines. every morsel is divine char, that smoky breath filling every pore. “are you thinking of our last time together?” the chorus of voices is growing dim; death is needed on earth once more and he is pulled away, always, by duty. ”about the next time. and the time after that. i think of every time all at once and it is never enough, angelus meus.”

* * *

augusta was in the palace with the newborn so erwin saw no shame in lunching beside the pools. levi’s feet rubbed against each other on erwin’s thigh and fingers would tickle them on occasion. levi would pause in his stitch work briefly and wriggle his toes. erwin looked about; only the guards were within sight. with one hand, he pushed levi’s skirt up and gathered oil from an abandoned dish of food with the other. levi didn’t have time to react before erwin tore his loincloth at the hip buckle and slipped his fingers in hard and fast. levi jerked, releasing needle and silk to grasp at the pillows beneath. erwin twisted his fingers and sought out… yes. levi gasped, whined, pressed back. even after levi came, erwin’s fingers rubbed that singular spot and a smile touched his lips when levi grew still as death. “i am ready,” he said and the guards nodded. servants came to clear away lunch. erwin returned that night, slipping away from his wife and child, to carry levi to his own bed.

the city was alight with candles from dusk until dawn. ”only thirty-two,” they said. “only thirty-two. his children without a father and the empire without a leader.” jewels and silks disappeared during the mourning period and even the sky wept for the loss. the sun rarely shone for the thirty days after erwin succumbed to death’s sweet liquor. levi rarely left his room. he wasn’t sad over erwin’s early death or even terrified of what was to become of him. he gathered all of his possessions and gave them to the concubines he felt deserved them. when everything had been graciously and silently accepted, the guards came for him. he only wore his skirt, bare beneath. even his gold bands had been removed, face scrubbed of all cosmetics. he hadn’t seen erwin’s tomb or his body and levi took a moment to run his hands over the velvet cloth covering him. it was gorgeously embroidered with the stories of erwin’s life. he touched his face last and let the last threads of wanting to be alive unravel. levi met augusta’s eyes. ”are you ready, concubine, to serve your master in the next life?” he tilted his chin up in obedience that was just as much defiance. ”yes, i am ready.” a hand went around his throat and began to squeeze it was an intimate touch and he thought of erwin even as the world went out, like all the candles in the city, with a final breath.

* * *

scrape. dip. rinse. shake. scrape. levi shivers every time the blade touches his scalp, causing erwin to steady him with fingers on his crown. erwin has always found something intimate bordering on the erotic about the act; being this close, smelling the musk of levi’s hair, taking away some part of him forever regardless of how small it is. levi tries for stillness; his fingers clutch his cloak as hair falls into his lap. he can feel erwin’s breath on his face as he works his way to the front and he swallows. the corner of erwin’s lips rise as he scrapes away the last of the cream. he looks for mistakes. “is it alright?” levi looks in the mirror as well as he can before feeling for himself. their fingers meet at the nape, tangle, before levi says that, yes, it is acceptable.

* * *

levi slung his gun over his back, paying little attention to the man it had felled. there was a handful of bullets and a few med-swabs; he tucked anything useful into the pockets of his jacket. after the bombs had dropped and summer became a rotting memory, the world had forgotten what altruism meant. levi, a weak child, should have starved or succumbed to cold, but isabel’s mother had seen value in him. after she was lost to the sickness, levi returned the favor and gave isabel every bit of paradise he could find in this hell. when he found the fucks who had taken her, levi was going to corrode their gristly bones in acid. there was so little left for levi with isabel gone. at least he had erwin, who tasted so sweet and smelled so clean and didn’t mind the blood and dirt and shit under his nails. erwin didn’t understand why he was doing this, why he had to go. “a pretty boy like you wouldn’t.” levi had let erwin fuck him before leaving at the changing of the guards. he stood and almost missed it. a can of peaches. his hands shook at the thought. the man made a gurgling sound as levi cut it open, pulling a slippery, sweet half from the jagged rim. he sobbed, it tasted so good. levi chewed quickly, juice running down his chin. the man reached for his gun with shattered fingers. levi leaned over and let the blade tucked into his boot finish the mindless job.

levi returns alone and dripping blood. erwin takes his gun and every hidden knife he can find. every last ounce of fight has been bled dry. erwin carries levi to his house, one of the better places underground, and washes him with precious water. none of the blood is his; apart from a few scratches on his knuckles, levi is left beautifully whole. three days pass before he speaks. death has already woven into his hair and skin and levi can’t understand why erwin keeps smelling him with pleased moans. “they made her suffer so i made them suffer. there was nothing to bring back except…” he digs in his pockets until he finds a jeweled barette missing a few rhinestones. “at least farlan didn’t have to see her like that.” levi swallows down anger and bile. he wonders if sex with erwin will be pleasant again one day because he hasn’t felt anything in days. when levi sleeps, back to erwin’s chest, he thinks of sun-bright peaches. erwin thinks of how levi must look when he opens a rusty drum and drops his enemies inside, listening to the hiss of flesh as it’s dissolved down to bone.

* * *

"you can’t be serious. what is this, 1402? he’s twice her age and mikasa is not a broodmare." "she’s the only daughter we have to offer and you know how important this alliance is, levi." he pinched the bridge of his nose. it would have been better to stay in the states than wander across the water and back to his parents’ kingdom. he would have stayed out of the matter completely were he not the crown prince. "it won’t be too horrible," his mother continued. "i didn’t know your father when we became engaged. i’m certain prince erwin will treat mikasa…" levi could deal with the matter as long as the prince’s name was used. wasn’t “erwin” what he had chanted in his apartment while attending university in new york, being fucked apart when he should have been taking a midterm? "dammit," he hissed, running a firm finger down his nose. "and erwin’s mother…” "look at you, petit prince." erwin’s hands had been warm running down his chest, cupping his hips as he began to move. "if i could get children from you, i wouldn’t need to be forced into a loveless marriage with your cold sister.” "what do you think, levi? everything is set for next weekend. mikasa will make a lovely bride.” erwin had whispered something in his ear that levi couldn’t quite make out. he remembered the hot lips on his cheeks, the cock breaking him open like a gem in a rock. “little prince, little prince, if only we were different people.” "it sounds wonderful, mother. i’m sure they will have a long and happy marriage." "of course. perhaps we will find a fair princess for you next.” erwin had held him like something precious, all his swagger discarded along with his clothing on the floor. his breath had stirred levi’s hair, thumb rubbing a patch of skin on his forearm. "if only we were different people." what a thing for a prince to say.

"have you fucked my sister yet?" levi blew smoke from the side of his mouth; his first cigarette in weeks. he eyed the prince’s valet as he slinked from the room. "i don’t see how that’s any of your business." "oh? i would say it is considering you had your dick in my mouth after all the pomp and ceremony was finally over." "you… i’m not the one who begged me to bind your hands with that silly cravat you insist on wearing." levi dropped his cigarette in erwin’s steaming coffee. "that’s very mature of you, petit prince." "stop calling me that." erwin stood and levi was struck by how much taller he was, how much broader his shoulders and lighter his hair. fuck, he wanted to climb erwin and devour him from the top down. “what would you prefer? princeling? lover? my wife’s brother?” levi fumbled in his pockets for another cigarette but erwin’s hands stopped him. he leaned low  to hiss in his ear. ”i can make this work if you keep your filthy little mouth shut, levi.” if anyone had spoken to him in such a manner, levi would have slapped them; he wanted erwin to call him worse things. “you would do that to my sister?” “i would do anything for you.” erwin pulled away when the valet returned. “pardon the intrusion, your royal highness, but we do have a full itinerary today.” the valet looked levi up and down blankly. “thank you, levi, for visiting. i will tell my wife you wish her well.” levi was left alone in the office, twisting an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “petit prince,” he whispered, closing his eyes as hot, imaginary breath bathed his ear and cheek.

"oh, jesus christ." levi’s head hung low, hand reaching blindly for something to hold onto. erwin couldn’t stay long. he was only in town for a few days on an official tour. mikasa was four months along and it was becoming harder and harder to break away from scheduled functions early. everyone wanted a quote from the prince regarding his future heir. “you want me to come in your ass, don’t you?” “yes,” levi hissed, gripping his cock and crying out when erwin’s thrusts grew stronger, closer together. "beg, petit prince." "please, please come inside me." his throat burned raw. erwin bucked against him, sinking teeth into the tender skin of his throat. he loved leaving a necklace of bites for levi to admire in the morning and hide beneath a crisp, white cravat. a hand stroked levi’s side, neither man looking around for the soft clicks echoing in the apartment. levi came with a soft groan and a tightening that shoved erwin off the precipice as well. he dropped onto his side, pulling levi against his chest as he pressed a kiss to his sweaty hair. mikasa folded her hands over her stomach and waited patiently, shoulder leaning against the door jamb. ”i thought i would find you here, erwin.” “oh, jesus christ,” levi said again. erwin sat up, shielding levi from his sister’s stare. ”hello, mikasa. did you have me followed or were you-” she held up a hand and blinked slowly. “i’ll be down in the car. expect a call from father before too long, levi.” erwin stood and dressed. he bent down to kiss levi, a tongue fucking more than anything, messy and wet and leaving them both breathless. he left without a word. “it really is a shame you weren’t born the princess, levi. the last thing i want is to have his children.” mikasa turned on her heel and closed the front door silently behind her. levi lay in bed until the phone rang.

mikasa smoothed out the expensive material of her dress as the car pulled away from the curb. “there are going to be rules, erwin. if you’re going to continue seeing my brother,” she clarified at the insistence of erwin’s blank stare. “and no my father isn’t calling levi about this. one, it must be discreet. if you are at the same function - in the same room, even - you are too keep everything strictly platonic. two, i don’t want to hear about any of it. three, don’t be an idiot just because you’re head-over-heels in love with that sour, bitter petit prince.” mikasa threw the pet name into erwin’s face expertly. “besides, i would prefer to have annie or sasha or someone in my bed besides you. you aren’t bad by any means but i would simply prefer someone else.” she ran motherly hands over her growing womb. “we will be a perfect family for appearance’s sake but it matters little if we have anything to do with each other besides.” erwin leaned back in his seat. the leather cradled him as he thought. mikasa was truly a queen in the making. “i hope levi is shitting himself, waiting for that call,” she muttered, looking out the window as the car neared the hotel. “he deserves it.” “how so?” “look at me. the only princess of a dying kingdom. all the responsibility falls on me. i don’t know how levi has gotten away with being unmarried for so long.” a heavy silence fell then. mikasa rubbed her stomach as if it were a magic crystal, capable of foretelling unavoidable misfortunes. “he should have been the woman, not me.” erwin had to agree with her on that point.


	3. Chapter 3

"this smells really good." eren set the tin back on the counter. "it’s papa’s special tea. he only drinks it when he’s sick. now, put a few spoonfuls into the infuser. good." eren spilled half of it onto the counter but erwin didn’t mind; he just added another teaspoon for good measure. "i’ll pour the hot water in, alright?" eren nodded and stood back, climbing onto the step stool again to put the lid on the teapot. "how about i take this and you take the tray?" it was laden with a cup, saucer, creamer, and some cookies. erwin doubted levi would touch those but eren had insisted. levi was drowning in blankets, only his head peeking out from the comforter. erwin motioned for eren to set the tray on the nightstand. "how are you feeling, lee?" "like i’m dying." his voice was a toad’s croak. erwin brushed sweaty hair off his forehead. "fever finally broke." levi nodded and trembled at the cool touch. "eren made you tea." levi opened his eyes and looked at his son. "thank you. that was very kind." eren beamed and took a seat on erwin’s knee. "you’re welcome, papa. when are you going to get better?" "a few days, hopefully. haven’t been this sick in a long time. what are you doing?" eren had started rubbing a hand on the spot he thought his father’s stomach might be. "you always do this to me. rub the tummy bugs away." levi began to laugh only for it to rattle on into a painful cough. "alright, monster," erwin eased eren off his knee, "time to let papa sleep." "but his tea." "he’ll get to it." once eren was in his room with a book, erwin returned to levi. he had pulled himself up to rest against the headboard. erwin poured him a cup of tea and watched him take slow sips. "eren was really worried about you. he’s never seen you sick." "he thinks i’m invincible for some reason." "you are strong, lee. you forget that too often." levi set his cup down on its saucer and looked at the place where erwin’s right arm had been only two years before. "i’m not as strong as you, erwin." erwin’s left hand found levi’s and squeezed tight. "you make me strong.”

erwin squinted as he stalked across the backyard. “hmm. where’s eren, olive?” the dog looked at him, nub of a tail cutting through the air. scout was on the opposite side of the lawn, sniffing at something on the other side of the fence and growling. “go find him,” erwin whispered and the doberman shot off, sniffing the air and grass in search of the little boy’s scent. erwin returned to the porch. “i thought you were going to look for him.” erwin pulled levi against his side. “i was. he’ll get a doggy tongue instead.” ”olive!” eren screamed, stumbling out from behind the bushes. the dog followed, a series of barks calling scout over. eren made for his parents, looking back to make sure the dogs were still there. he climbed into erwin’s arms. ”that wasn’t nice, daddy.” “oh, you know you love it.” eren put his arms around erwin’s neck briefly before climbing back down. he got on all fours and barked like olive only for scout to lay down nearby and set his head on the boy’s back. “scout!” levi leaned down and rubbed the great dane’s head. “i think we have three dogs instead, erwin.” “looks like it.” eren wiggled his backside and panted with his tongue hanging out, yipping at a confused olive. ”yeah, looks like it.”

"you’re supposed to be taking a nap," levi reminded for the third time. eren continued to run baby-fat fingers through his father’s hair and coo. "fine. i’m not going to let you stop me, though." his eyes closed only to open when eren gummed the back of his head where it was kept shaved beneath a fall of dark hair. "that’s disgusting, eren." eren gurgled, kicking his legs against his papa’s back. "little brat," levi said affectionately before turning around and mock-wrestling his son into submission. eren wriggled in protest but soon fell to the charms of levi’s hand rubbing soothing circles on his growling tummy. levi woke with a jolt when his body realized eren was no longer in bed with him. “eren?” he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stumbled downstairs. he was in the kitchen, eren’s feet dangling over erwin’s shoulders with his arms wrapped around his head from behind. ”what would you like your pancakes to look like, eren?” erwin stopped drooling on his father’s head long enough to say, “panda!” levi coughed to draw their attention. “hello, lee. want some pancakes?” “isn’t it a little late in the day for that?” eren looked at him with wide, unfocused eyes. “never too late or too early for something good,” erwin reminded him, slapping levi on the ass with the spatula as he walked by.

when eren became clingy, levi traded laptop for shorthand on paper. sippy cup within reach, he worked on his latest article while eren napped, chubby baby arms tight around his torso. “brat,” levi said. the front door opened and eren’s eyes shot open. “da?” erwin’s head came around levi’s shoulder to press a peck of a kiss on eren’s head before he gave levi a more affectionate greeting. ”how’s the article coming along?” “it would go a lot better if i didn’t have a koala squirming around on my lap.” ”how about daddy fixes that, hmm?” he swept his son into his arms with a soft laugh. “thanks, erwin.” “don’t worry, you’ll pay me back.” levi shot a look over his shoulder, barely missing the suggestive wriggle of erwin’s brow.

"we really don’t have the time for this." "nonsense." erwin glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "eren won’t be back from armin’s for another half an hour." levi huffed. erwin kissed him, a chaste duel of tongues, before pulling back abruptly. "you haven’t changed much since high school." "what? still short?" "you know i don’t mind that, lee." if anything, erwin loved levi’s size. when his little husband was angry or frustrated, erwin could throw him over his shoulder and drop him onto the bed, push his shirt up and pull his pants down, finger or rim or fuck. no. they didn’t fuck, even when it was hard and fast and messy. erwin kissed the side of his throat, then his chin and finally his lips. levi threaded his fingers together across the back of his neck. erwin nipped his bottom lip before pulling back to run a hand through his hair. "so, how am i still the same?" erwin hummed thoughtfully as levi’s thighs closed against his sides. "you still like to make out." "only with you." erwin pushed a hand under levi’s shirt before sucking a bruise into his neck. ’and you still drive me crazy,’ erwin thought. "oi! do that lower. eren always sees and you know how full of questions he is." erwin obliged, sucking and nipping his way down to levi’s stomach, watching it empty of breath at the intimate touch. he took pride in the fact that he’d been the only one to make levi do that.

erwin looked inside eren’s room to find olive curled up on the foot of the bed and scout sprawled on the rug by the closet. his smile only faltered when he realized levi was reading to their son in french. he stepped back and closed the door before eren could start asking what this-or-that meant. erwin went into their bedroom and stripped down, making sure everything was in its place so levi wouldn’t be distracted by any messes. “don’t know why he likes this one so damn much. oh. you were listening weren’t you?” erwin nodded, spreading his legs so levi could stand between them. “well, i could always use a bit more practice.” levi spoke slowly, pulling his shirt off and draping it over erwin’s head. erwin could pick out words like ‘shirt’ and ‘jeans,’ levi describing things he happened to be wearing; he always enjoyed pulling erwin’s leg. erwin kissed him before levi could finish, intent on kissing his smarty pants right off.

when levi got anxious, he dusted. he’d been dusting a lot over the last six months, since erwin had shipped out. he made eren lunch and put him down for his nap and then set about cleaning everything he could remotely reach. he paused when he got to a certain framed photo, his favorite. it had been a few weeks after he and erwin had gotten married. mike had thrown them a surprise party. levi sat awkwardly on erwin’s lap but he could still see the flush of his nose and cheeks as they kissed. he missed erwin’s kisses and the way his arms held him so completely, so perfectly. the doorbell rang. levi checked his watch. two minutes past two. that would be pat. their mail carrier always came to the door when she had a letter from erwin, otherwise she left everything in the box out by the street. “another message from your hunk of a husband,” she said with a grin. “thanks, patricia.” he didn’t even look up from tearing open the envelope. ”no problem, mr. smith.” ”eren!” he called out after closing the front door. “letter from daddy.” he could hear the struggle of eren getting off his bed before the patter of feet. eren knew to meet him in the master bedroom. they curled up together on the reading chair and levi read the parts that were safe for eren’s young ears. erwin always made sure to put the mature things in brackets so levi didn’t slip up and say something meant only for his eyes. eren pressed his face against the page and sighed. “i feel the same way, kid.” he touched the back of eren’s head as his hand lowered the letter until it hung over the edge of the chair like a beautiful, wilted flower.

levi stretches up for a kiss as he grinds down on erwin’s cock. this is their last time together before erwin goes on his next tour and he wants to make it last despite how tired he is. erwin spreads his cheeks, dips his tongue into levi’s mouth hungrily. it feels like the first time but without all the adolescent fumbling. ten years on and levi is still the only one he could imagine wanting. he manhandles levi into an easier position - on his back, legs spread with firm hands on each knee - and keeps the movements of his hips as fluid as possible. “my little lee,” he hisses, bending down to kiss him again. it’s hungry and messy and erwin sucks on his tongue until levi gasps, tightens around him. he’ll miss the scratch of nails against his scalp and the way his body cups levi’s as they sleep. levi keeps him close when he comes, foreheads together. he thinks he hears the beginning of a sob but he muffles it as erwin pulls away, framing levi’s face with his hands. levi kisses his palm and wraps his legs around erwin’s waist when he tries to pull out.

levi opened a tired eye as eren’s screams blared through the baby monitor. he made to get up when erwin put a hand on his back. ”i’ll get him, mom.” levi swatted at erwin’s ass as he walked out of the room. he came back in a minute later with the screaming infant in his arms. “what’s wrong, bug?” he asked, climbing onto the bed and sitting with his back to the headboard. he had eren’s head in the cradle of his hand and his bum flush to the crook of his arm. he never said as much but there was something about eren that reminded erwin of levi; it was why he’d been so adamant in adopting him. “see? not so bad.” eren gurgled and yawned. his screams could flare and die at a moment’s notice. levi rubbed eren’s stomach, fixing his onesie as his legs flailed. “didn’t hanji get him this?” the onesie read “two hot dads and a cute baby” in a font reminiscent of a 90s television show. “probably.” erwin bounced eren gently, took notice of his eyelids drooping. levi rested his head against erwin’s arm and was out just as quickly as his son. the position wasn’t very comfortable for erwin but he didn’t mind, lifting his arm until levi was snuggled against his side and tucking eren like the precious thing he was on his lap. he didn’t mind the stiff neck he woke up with the next morning once he saw levi’s hand on eren’s stomach and eren’s fingers enclosed around levi’s pinkie finger.

"i’m not seeing what’s wrong." it was an old house so the plumbing going on the fritz wasn’t unusual. erwin just wasn’t seeing what levi did. erwin was wearing his wash-worn jeans and the hunter green shirt he wore had ridden up to show a strip of toned tummy. "i’m pretty sure i heard it knocking this morning." erwin pushed himself out from under the cabinet and sat up. his cheeks were hollowed around the shaft of a flashlight. "you really shouldn’t do that." levi plucked it from between erwin’s lips and kissed him. "you just wanted to see me all sweaty, didn’t you?" he pulled levi down onto his lap. levi wrinkled his nose. "if you’d just walk around naked like i ask…" "no can do, my sweet poet. eren doesn’t need to be scarred for life." levi hummed and kissed erwin again. tonight, he was really going to make him sweaty.

erwin had been glad to drive his parents to a hotel after dinner. it was two days before christmas and levi had finally had enough. erwin had never seen him so angry or heard such things come out of his mouth. no one blamed him when he stomped upstairs and slammed the bedroom door or that erwin’s parents suggest they spend the night under a different roof. erwin returned home, glad that the roads hadn’t been too bad; the nearest hotel wasn’t all that near. he removed his coat and shoes and went upstairs, grateful that eren was fast asleep despite all the commotion. ”you must be so ashamed of me, erwin.” levi didn’t look over from his spot on the edge of the bed. erwin crawled over to him, setting his chin on the crown of levi’s head. ”i’m not, lee. i should have spoken up before-” “they’re your parents, erwin.” “and you’re my husband. i will always choose you over everyone else.” erwin’s left hand took levi’s and he ran his thumb over his wedding band. “this is what matters to me. everything i need is in this house.” erwin kissed his ear, neck, shoulder. he smiled against warm skin when levi let his head fall to the side, a silent acquiescence to erwin’s unspoken request.

 


	4. Chapter 4

erwin never offered him a glass. in fact, it was improper of him to be drinking in his office at all. considering what they’d just done, however, midday wine was the least of his improprieties. levi wiped at the mess between his thighs and pulled up his jeans. "how come you never get anything on your suit?” erwin took his first sip, long, let the expensive taste wash across his tongue. "must be another benefit of tailoring. now. weren’t you just leaving?” levi’s scowl looked forced but erwin didn’t comment on it. he never did. they kissed before levi could make it to the door, a thorough tongue fucking on erwin’s part simply because he could. he knew how securely levi sat in the palm of his hand. “tomorrow?" "i guess.” 'i was thinking another try at fellatio. you really weren't up to par today.” levi flipped him off as the door closed. erwin finished his glass, set it on the edge of his desk for the secretary to whisk away.

levi only rode hard. there was no finesse to their fucking and it was just that: fucking, at erwin’s office or his penthouse, whenever their schedules managed to mesh. it usually started that way but erwin wasn’t one to hand over control in any compartment of his life so levi always ended up on his back. erwin usually let the the hard theme bleed over for continuity’s sake. "fuck!" levi bit out as erwin’s teeth sank into his ankle. "the doorman is going to hear you if you keep that up."

erwin licked at the skin stretched taut over bone. "oh, fuck… fuck you.” erwin’s hand wrapped around his cock, tugging hard with a twist. it was just over the wrong side of pain and levi came with a sharp cry on his lips.  disposing of the condom, erwin went into the bathroom for a damp towel. levi wiped them down as erwin sucked at his lips, slid his tongue inside levi’s mouth and tasted every part of him he could reach. he loved the dominance of it, possessing a firecracker without getting hurt. "i have a dinner party tomorrow so i will be engaged for most of the day. you’re free to come over and wait.” levi didn’t look impressed as he dressed. "i think i want to make you come from just my tongue in your ass. hmm?” levi’s fingers stopped on the button of his jean. erwin had never offered to do something so intimate before. "would you even know what to do with your mouth down there?” erwin hooked his fingers into the band of levi’s jeans and pulled him close. he licked beneath his navel, working his way up until his tongue lapped at the rim of the indentation. levi’s abdominals fluttered nervously. erwin released him with a slight push. "i’ll figure it out.”

* * *

it takes a lot more than perfect aim to be the perfect assassin. there’s an intense knowledge of one’s surroundings- temperature, wind direction and speed, who’s in the vicinity and exactly where - and the ability to blend into a crowd once the job is done. i’ve been doing this so long i’ve stopped thinking about all the minutiae. it comes down to muscle memory, a tense coil of mind and matter waiting to flawlessly unfurl at the exact moment the job description states. it’s been two months and i finally have him pinned down. i’d prefer a more discreet location but beggars can never be choosers and i’d like to go home. empty apartment. empty fridge. empty life. i don’t know anything else. take comfort where you can find it and all that. probably shouldn’t have taken it with him even if it was before i got the job. 'freelance muscle,' that's what i had told him i did. who fucking says that? his mouth moves. finger moves onto the trigger. _good evening. i am glad you could join me here tonight._ he pauses. the cameras wink and the microphones bob in sweaty hands. our eyes meet through the scope and that grin he had on his face when he came inside me is stretching those perfect lips and fuck you, erwin smith, for turning this into something i don’t know how to handle.

i keep a list in my head when i’m on a job. i take note of how the target moves. when someone gets their attention from behind, do they turn to the right or the left? do they turn at all? when faced with a question, do they bow their head? do they smile? i look for all the little mundane idiosyncrasies that can prevent me from taking a clean shot. "you’re in town on business as well?" i never expect people to approach me at the bar. wearing an expression like something’s constantly shitting on your face helps keep things professional. "protecting some guy." "ah." he waves down the bartender, orders something complex he’s not even going to taste. "what is it you do, then?" "freelance muscle and don’t bring the whole height thing into it." and why the fuck did i just say any of that? "people are full of surprises. i’d rather have someone like you protecting me than an obvious, overly-muscular figure. personal preference, however." he wears a tailored suit and expensive aftershave, not cologne, and his fingernails are short and manicured. i doubt they’ve pulled the trigger of a gun before. i can tell just by a glance that he wants to bury his face in my ass and tongue me until i come. maybe i could- his drink is delivered and he does taste it, making a pleased sound. maybe i could shoot him when he comes. never done that before. "do you have any plans tonight? i was hoping to see what there is to do here." he finishes his drink and turns toward me. ah, so he’s like that. this is going to be easier than i thought.

my gun’s still in my jacket when he fucks me. he has a nice suite filled with nice things and he smells nice. i normally wouldn’t let someone pin me down but it feels right with him. if he’s not in control, this wouldn’t be so pleasant for me. he’s a biter, nipping at my throat, coaxing blood to the surface where it will pool and darken. a reminder after he’s dead and i’m onto the next job. he says things that get me hard. he wants to watch his come drip down my thighs, watch me crawl to the bathroom because my legs can’t, won’t hold me upright. he wants to stare me down when i come. i didn’t think ceo’s did this kind of thing. he must have a wife and kids back home. he should know better than be dealing with the people he is. his hand is tight in my hair, pulling my face into the light. he starts to smile and it has nothing to do with physical pleasure. i know. that’s what his look says when he comes. fuck.

all heads look about the same when they’re blown open. it’s why i usually go for the heart. when i can’t sleep at night, i can sometimes see the little girl walking in as my finger depressed the trigger on her colombian drug lord of a father. i can still see his brains all over her bubblegum pink nightgown. that had been the first time i used her. emma has been my companion for years and i know her as well as she knows me. custom case. tiny insignia engraved where no one but myself will ever see it. she is more than capable of seducing erwin smith to the grave when i get another chance. i should have taken the shot. my jacket wasn’t far. he could have been dead and i could have been miles away to collect my fee. but, no. life isn’t linear. it doesn’t move along a single, unfaltering path. it wings off in any direction given the choices you make. you can’t regret them, though. once you step onto a new road, the intersection behind you is sealed off. there is only moving forward and trying not to regret what you’ve done to get yourself here. he’ll be in tokyo in a few weeks and i’ll be there as well. emma will accompany me, first class all the way. erwin smith owes me his blood and i’ll savor it like that stupid drink he bought at the hotel bar in berlin.

* * *

"do you think it will ever stop raining?" levi swivels toward erwin, all black silk and scowl. "you don’t like going outside so what does it really matter?" levi slips into his lap like a stray cat. "you do and i hate to see you so despondent. i didn’t wait so long for you only to bind myself to this." they had been separated for some time, two allied kingdoms torn by decades of embittered battle. it was only after levi had given up his birth right and fled under the danger of the sun that erwin threw every last bit of force he had and won. with levi on his side, there was nothing in the other kingdom to hold out and he let his demon hounds loose and smiled as a century of war was ended in the howls of dog and devoured vamp alike. levi’s blood had been so sweet on his tongue, erwin had wept. so many years of empty vessels in his lover’s stead. levi draped his arms over erwin’s shoulders and kissed his forehead. “you know i would do anything to make you happy, my prince. you only need say and anyone’s head is yours.” “no.” erwin pressed his head to levi’s chest and folded him in his arms. levi was live wires in his embrace, a scent he couldn’t describe, and a statue bathed in the divine blood of sacrificed angels.

* * *

inspiration strikes when it will so erwin wasn’t too surprised to be woken at three in the morning by levi’s violin. the song he played, however, was unfamiliar. it was deeply sad and erwin stumbled through the darkness of the condo, following the notes he swore he could see like ghosts in the air. for a few weeks each december, erwin took time off work and whisked levi away to his condo in park city. the room designated as levi’s studio - where he practiced and composed - looked onto the snow, two walls of windows meeting at a corner. erwin stood in the doorway, silent and swallowing back the pain and dryness tears often bring. levi seemed to notice his presence, shoulders tightening as the song flew on, ragged as a funeral shroud toward the end. “it was in the trunk my maman sent me a few weeks ago. my grandfather wrote it, his last song before the train to auschwitz. it feels like he’s speaking to me, this man i never knew who is responsible for everything i am. he poured all of his sorrow into it so his death would pass quickly.” levi lowered the instrument and turned toward erwin. ”how do you feel?” “empty? i really don’t know. it’s my first time playing it. doesn’t even have a title. just a date.” levi set his violin in its case with reverence before returning the sheet music to its folder, fingertips lingering on the yellowed pages. ”i’m sorry i woke you.” “never apologize for that. i’m not all that tired anyway. how about some tea?” a smile touched levi’s lips. “that would be nice.” levi tangled his fingers with erwin’s and allowed himself to be pulled from the room where his grandfather’s ghost lingered, breathing his music against the winter-fogged windows.

* * *

the rain had voices, many that came together like ripples only to deflect when they touched. it created a thousand million words that filled his head. he could only imagine what each drop would have to say upon falling into the sea. a hand on his shoulder made him open his eyes. “good morning.” a hot mug of tea against his palm. “why do you like the rain so much?” “it’s predictable like so few things are. it wets everything it touches. it’s nature’s purest song aside from the howl of wind.” “good enough reason, i guess.” lips against his hair, fingers fixing a strand that had refused to stay in place when he’d tried. levi’s weight was a warm stone in his lap and they watched the storm pass through together, sharing sips of tea.


	5. Chapter 5

it only starts after erwin loses a piece of himself, when he can no longer cup levi’s feet or hold both arms above his head with such ease. levi takes a toe into his mouth, cheeks hollowed obscenely, before lapping up the sharpness of shin and trying to nip at patella. his eyes flick up to erwin’s but he can only stare at the ceiling as levi’s tongue seeks his cock through cloth. fingers drag the fabric down and his breath is sweet and hot against his cock. his hands draw a map across erwin’s trembling stomach. he hums, licks precome like it’s tea with sugar. he kisses each muscle in his chest, tugs sharply at a nipple and smiles when erwin jerks up at the attention. levi rubs his cheek against the skin above the bandages and erwin turns his head away so levi cannot feel the ragged breaths stir his hair. levi’s hands cup his face and bring their foreheads together. erwin thinks he hears things - beautiful and gorgeous and mineminemineallmine - but he can’t be sure. his eyes burn from the attention paid to him and he draws in a stuttering breath as levi lays a head on his chest. “iloveyouiloveyouido,” he whispers and it takes the last of erwin’s fleeing strength to stop himself from feeling too much and letting it spill over into this precious moment, ruining it with the dark, ugly ink of his thoughts.

* * *

marie crooned on the stage, leg revealed through the provocative slit of her dress. nile sat in the front row, always, watching his wife with a sense of pride that swelled in his chest. business boomed and booze flowed. erwin adjusted a suspender on his shoulder, slightly tangled from his latest romp with levi in the storage room. he could still taste the bite of whiskey on his lover’s lips. the song ended and he clapped along with everyone else. marie dawk’s smooth, certain voice was a big draw in these uncertain times. levi was smoking a cigarette in a back booth. several buttons on his shirt were undone and his hair was mussed from where erwin’s fingers had picked its meticulous style apart. “we should get out of here,” he said, squashing his cigarette in a crystal ashtray. “you know we can’t yet. there’s still a whole city of people to clandestinely entertain.” erwin slid in next to him, placing a hand high on levi’s slim thigh. “what kind of-” levi’s accusation was swallowed by erwin’s kiss as another singer took to the stage.

* * *

erwin brought the song to a soft close, watching the lights burn bright before fading out like a star. levi crooned under the audience’s admiration, rocking on his heels as his fingers strummed his guitar. erwin was always amazed when he got through an entire song, eyes too focused on the high, tight ass in wranglers swaying back and forth in front of him during every song.

* * *

he’s always been an extension of the horse, all strong line and graceful muscle, and levi really, really hates to watch because he wants to be the one astride that horse. but, life had never really panned out that way for him. instead, he rides erwin and becomes an extension of that beauty.

* * *

one offers their heart to humanity with right hand pounded against chest. erwin can’t count the number of times he’s done so but now it’s certainly a fixed statistic. it feels strange saluting with his left - as if he can no longer do anything for humanity - so instead he offers his beating heart to levi in the hope that one of them will escape the ever-growing maw of death.

* * *

levi couldn’t stop trembling. erwin’s lips were whisper soft across calf and knee, pausing as his hand went forward, pushing aside the robe levi wore. he hummed, fingers dipping into wetness. levi sucked in a breath, turning his head on the pillow and gripping the sheets. erwin licked them clean, pulling his fingers free with a pop. “already wet for me, levi? god, you taste good.” erwin tasted him from the source without preamble and let levi’s thighs close around his head. he ate with abandon, wet sounds that mortified levi but made him throb against erwin’s tongue. erwin looked at him with blue, blue eyes, sucking levi’s folds into his mouth, releasing them slowly. “i love doing this to you. tasting you on my tongue.” he returned, tongue slipping inside. levi all but whined when erwin withdrew, pushing levi’s thighs to the side and studying him with an intensity that made levi burn with embarrassment. “you shouldn’t hide this from me. it’s beautiful.” he ran his fingers through the wet warmth, sliding two in and curling until levi jerked in his grip. “do you want me now? i want you to drip all over my dick.” “yes,” levi breathed. he burned for him, always did, and the head of erwin’s cock pressing into him was almost as good as his mouth and he arched into penetration. he took erwin in with little resistance and cried out against his mouth when erwin pulled back and pressed back in. “fuck, i love when you squeeze around me. do it again.” levi did, continuing to do so until erwin came inside him. “levi,” he whispered, pulling out and watching his come collect in the wet folds until his tongue was licking levi clean with long, slow strokes that made his thighs tremble again.

* * *

levi adjusted the cuff and looked in the mirror as the door behind him opened. “what the hell, erwin! we’re not supposed to see each other before the ceremony.” “neither of us is a bride so i figure it’s okay. gods, look at you.” erwin slipped his hand out of his pocket and put both arms around levi’s chest. he kissed the top of his head, keeping his nose buried in levi’s hair. levi tried to hide his smile as a hand came up to grip erwin’s forearm. he lowered it and frowned when he realized erwin was shaking. ”are you crying?” erwin lifted his head and nodded. his eyes were already red-rimmed. “you’re that excited about this?” “of course.” levi scoffed and kicked playfully at erwin’s shoe. ”look at you, erwin. christ, you’re tall and handsome and i’m this small, bitter idiot. i should be the one-” erwin turned levi around. “no, you’re not. you’re perfect. you just can’t see you the way that i do. you’re everything i could want. that’s why,” erwin took a deep breath to calm himself, “i can’t seem to stop getting so damn emotional.” levi reached up and wiped his tears away. “let’s get this over with so we can get to the part where you make me cry.”

* * *

they’d been living next to each for several years and their conflicting work schedules made any prolonged contact impossible. so, it was by chance that levi happened to be coming home early as erwin, with crutches, struggled with two bags of groceries. “here.” levi took them both without waiting for a response. “thanks.” erwin fit the key into the lock and pushed the door open. ”go sit down or something. i’ll take care of this.” that’s how it began. levi would come over when he could. things were silent at first but they soon started talking about their jobs and all the little things that annoyed him. levi was a fairly good cook and erwin was good at conversation without being annoying. he wrapped erwin’s leg before he took showers and neither one blushed as erwin’s nudity against levi being fully dressed. it worked for them. levi couldn’t really keep the displeasure off his face when he saw erwin in the hall sans cast. “oh, you had it taken off.” “yeah, um.” erwin pushed a hand through his hair. “this morning. thanks for all your help, by the way. you must be relieved! no more having to take care of me or anything.” erwin seemed to read levi’s expression and shifted gears. ”it’s still a bit sore, though. i mean, you could-” levi was already taking the keys from erwin’s hands and opening his door for him. ”one of my coworkers gave me this recipe for a pork dish that i really think you’ll like and we really need to clean your bathroom, erwin. i’ll show you some time-saving tips.” erwin closed the door with a smile. maybe breaking his leg hadn’t been so bad after all.

* * *

"so you’re telling me, that despite making this reservation two months ago, you’ve given my table to some fuckface actor who just happens to be in town and can’t go to another restaurant. nice." he slammed down the phone before the hostess could give another flat excuse. his afternoon was getting worse and worse. the gift he’d purchased for erwin hadn’t arrived - held up in customs, probably - and the recent restaurant debacle left him without a leg to stand on. ten years together and levi had nothing special planned. he couldn’t wait to see the look on erwin’s face when he learned they would be celebrating at home, just like every other night. "honey, i’m home," erwin called out and levi scowled. every damn time. "you look really pissed. what’s going on?" "everything!" levi threw his hands in the air. "i had the entire evening planned out and one by one someone kept shooting the lights out." "um." "it’s just an expression, erwin. god, i wanted this to be so special. i haven’t been friends with anyone for ten years much less married to someone." levi pouted dramatically and buried his face between erwin’s pecs. "well, i might have a bit of a backup plan up my sleeve." he stroked levi’s hair, stopping when levi looked up at him. "really?" "remember that shitty bar we went to on our first date?" "with those awful pretzels?" "yes, with those awful pretzels. how about we go there, have some drinks, find some cheap place to have a greasy dinner, and then come back here and fuck. for a very long time." levi could feel erwin’s cock through the layers of clothes. "or we could just skip drinks and dinner and get right to the best part. i wouldn’t complain if you dropped me on your dick right now. best anniversary i can think of having." "oh no, little boy." erwin’s voice had dropped deliciously. "you’re going to do as you’re told. if you keep your hands to yourself during dinner," erwin leaned down to whisper in levi’s ear, "i’ll have your peaches and cream for dessert." levi bit his bottom lip. "i love when daddy’s nasty." "go get ready, then." erwin smacked levi’s ass with a hardness that made him jump before skittering into the bedroom for his shoes.

* * *

levi still hadn’t gotten the hang of it. at least, he was practicing on a circle of cardboard and wouldn’t ruin another cake. erwin was shuffling in the back room and levi tucked his tongue into the corner of his mouth, set his focus on the tube of icing in hand, and set about on another attempt. “here. let me help.” levi staggered forward as erwin fit himself against his back. “you’re squeezing too hard. you need to maintain constant pressure so the icing comes out evenly. squeeze too hard and it’ll spurt everywhere.” ‘you did not just fucking say that,’ levi thought. erwin seemed to think nothing of the innuendo and guided levi in the proper way of holding the bag and using just enough pressure to squeeze the icing out but maintain small, perfect swells of butter creme waves. “there.” levi lifted his head when he felt something hard and hot against his back. erwin, being so much taller than him, loomed over levi and the press of cloth against cloth meant… “erwin? do you seriously have an erection now?” “hmm?” erwin pulled back and dug around in the front of his apron. he held something up for levi to see. he didn’t know the name of the device but it could certainly feel like a dick through layers of cloth. ”sorry about that,” erwin muttered, a blush finally touching his cheeks. he left the room and levi squeezed the icing bag too hard out of frustration, ruining his work with cream streaks of white.


	6. Chapter 6

it had been a long day. erwin pulled his tie off and draped it over his briefcase by the front door. he was hungry but he was too tired to make something. levi had been gone most of the day and probably got something to eat on his way home. he rubbed the back of his neck as he neared the bedroom, groaning as the muscles stretched pleasantly. “welcome home, daddy.” levi’s voice was smooth and deep and erwin groaned again as he took in the sight on the bed. levi was naked and fingering himself. that was erwin’s first impression. he held his ass high, lube glistening on the digits as they pumped in and out of his hole. “like what you see? i brought your chair in.” erwin sank down into it and his palm instantly went to his cock, stroking it through the fine fabric of his tailored suit. “higher, sweetness. i want to see it.” levi licked his lips and did as erwin said. it changed the angle and he cried out sharply, collapsing onto his free elbow as the other hand fucked him open. erwin’s hand was hard on himself, stroking almost to the point of pain. he kicked off his shoes without losing the rhythm and spread his legs. “daddy,” levi whimpered, pulling his fingers out and letting erwin see where he tried to close down around something that wasn’t there. “how long have you been waiting for me?” “since i got home.” another stroke, another cry. erwin wanted to bury his face between those cheeks and really make levi sob. “that long? how have… ah.” erwin saw it. levi was wearing a cock ring. he must have been in agony. “such a good boy for daddy, levi. oh?” levi had turned around on the bed, liquid as a black cat, and stalked off the bed. he knew what was coming next and hummed as levi rubbed his face against his knee, small hands undoing belt and zipper, pulling erwin out and breathing across the head. levi knew just how to work him and erwin was filling his mouth in minutes, levi’s throat working around the treat. “god, levi. what am i going to do with you?” levi stretched up, a thread of come spooling down to his chin. erwin licked it up, following the line back to levi’s mouth. he’d never liked the taste unless it was in levi’s mouth and he sucked every last drop away. “good boy. you pleased daddy tonight.” levi kissed his chin, panting against his dress shirt. “i think it’s time i repay your obedience.” erwin leaned down, cupping the back of levi’s head while his free hand removed the cock ring. three fingers then went between his cheeks, palm cupping his sac. his touch was anything but gentle and levi cried against the hollow of his throat, fingers digging into erwin’s back until he jerked forward into orgasm. erwin said his name three times, pressing wet fingers to his lips. erwin then licked them himself. levi sagged into erwin’s embrace, boneless and blissful. “let’s go to bed.” levi hummed and pressed a final kiss to erwin’s skin. he could smell the leather and violet of his cologne and sank into the warmth of his lover’s body.

* * *

a failure to secure the needed funds made things infinitely harder. erwin had to pull together new threads, weave a new cloth of allies willing to give over vast amounts of money to something that might yield little to no result. “look at it this way,” levi pointed out, putting together a new duster from the soft down of a bird he’d found dead in the forest. “through your connections, you know just about everyone. damn, feathers!” erwin looked up from his notes. they were just scribbles anyway. “who’s supported us in the past? have you looked into-” “of course, i have.” erwin pushed away from his desk like a petulant child and stalked to one of the bookcases, reaching behind a thick set of tactical tombs to pull out a bottle of dark liquid. “should you really be…” erwin unscrewed the lid and drank it straight down. levi’s brows lifted only for his eyes to fall back to his work, tightening the cord around the feathers. ”i appreciate you being here, levi. i do.” erwin stood over him and levi sensed no acid in the words. he accepted erwin’s hand on his cheek, rubbing against it since there was no one else around to see.

* * *

"hmp. levi." it wasn’t unusual for erwin to acknowledge levi in his sleep. nights together were rare at headquarters and levi often climbed in beside erwin long after night had fallen. "old man," levi whispered, fitting himself against erwin’s back and relishing the heat his larger body gave off. "i love you, levi." "i know." "i love your little nose and how your nostrils tremble when you’re angry." "that’s a weird thing to notice but alright." "and your little tumtum. it’s so kissable. it’s so flat i could set dinner for two on it and it would hold up. mmm. i’d eat dinner off your tumtum." levi lifted his head and looked at erwin’s face. he was asleep. not only asleep but asleep asleep. “and your knees. usually knees are unnoticeable but yours are lovely. i want” erwin yawned “to kiss them all over, front to back. leave little bruises that no one else will see because who but me ever looks at your knees? let myself know that those delicious knees are mine.” he hummed low in his throat and levi could feel the rumble of his body.”but mostly i love you. you make me feel nice. thank you, levi. i enjoy feeling nice. it’s such a good feeling.” levi burrowed his face between erwin’s shoulders blades and returned a bit of heat through the burning flush of his cheeks.

* * *

between pages, erwin would tidy up or make note of things he needed to buy the following day. when he was really blocked, he would even tackle his half of the closet. levi was impeccably neat and everything he owned was returned to its designated place. an hour slipped away and then two. he missed a phone call he’d been waiting for but it mattered little; levi would be beyond pleased when he saw the progress he’d made. “wow. didn’t think we’d ever see the very back. does it lead to narnia?” erwin pushed himself up. “welcome home, dear. dinner?”

* * *

"do you think erwin’s been…" hanji waved their hand around. "what?" levi was confused. "he’s practically busting out of his shirts. how have you not noticed?" oh, levi had noticed. he pretended not to as a means of preserving his sanity. every spare moment erwin had was devoted to 3dmg practice and every indulgence was cut out in order to fine tune muscle and shed any lingering fat. only the night before levi had dragged his dick between those heaving pecs while erwin ate him out, fingers gripping taut abdominals. erwin had held him down with ease. "either way, woof!"

* * *

"are we really going to stay in bed all week?" "well, we’re at different schools and it’s spring break." "wouldn’t you rather be sunning your ass on  a mexican beach or something? your parents offered to send you on a proper break." "i’m happy here." erwin pulled levi closer. "we don’t get to see each that often. i’ll be off to candidates school soon and you’ll be in europe for two months. i’d rather be here with you, lee." "big lovable dope." "only for you." erwin kissed the tip of levi’s nose and his mouth before working his way down.

* * *

levi feels his leg tremble but he doesn’t stop. he plants his hands on erwin’s chest, taking as much weight off his left so it doesn’t press too hard against erwin’s right side. erwin pants. it probably isn’t the best idea to be doing this now that erwin’s fever has only just broken but they have to take the opportunity while it’s presented to them. levi’s tongue flicks against his bottom lip as he takes erwin in: tousled hair, kiss-swollen lips, he stares at levi with half-closed jewel eyes. ”levi.” he presses down harder. erwin’s cock is perfect. levi is certain it was made for him alone, the key to his lock. “levi!” he pauses. the pain slams into him, shooting from his leg into his chest. he nearly falls over but for erwin’s hand on his arm. it moves to levi’s side, cupping his hip and guiding him up so levi can take the pressure off his injured leg. levi’s head rolls back as he picks up speed, the head of erwin’s cock rubbing every place just right. what a pair they are, he thinks, with their missing arm and damaged leg. i will wield your sword and you will carry me. he runs a hand through erwin’s hair as erwin comes, clenched eyes and fingers slipping on levi’s skin. levi takes himself in hand and strokes. erwin takes in a deep breath as come spatters across his stomach. he groans when levi pulls free in order to kiss him, limp cock rubbing deliciously against the hair leading down to his navel. erwin’s arm around levi’s waist holds them close as their breathing evens. they don’t have much time but they, this calculating man and the ace up his remaining sleeve, have this.

* * *

sweet, sweet labor day. erwin stretched with vigor. it was one of his favorite holidays, better than thanksgiving or christmas because nothing was expected of him. levi’s side of the bed was empty so erwin pulled on a pair of sweatpants and went into the kitchen, following the smell of brewing coffee. he stopped in the doorway and stared. something was playing on the radio above the sink but erwin was too taken by the gentle sway of levi’s hips to notice the song. he strode up silently, running his fingertips along the strip of skin between socks and sweater. levi arched forward, only to settle back as erwin’s hands stopped on his sides. “i thought you’d like those,” erwin whispered in his ear. they were a chunky pair of thigh highs, hand-knit and purchased without a thought on etsy. erwin had laid them out on levi’s side of the bed the moment they had arrived in the mail. he wished he’d been awake when levi pulled them on, feet pointed like a dancer’s. “merino wool, erwin? you spoil me.” levi turned, going onto the tips of his toes so he could wrap his arms around erwin’s shoulders. ”what would you like to do on this blessed labor day?” levi pursed his lips. ”well, i did get home very late friday night and i was gone for almost a week. i think you should throw me over your shoulder and play the caveman.” the socks were chocolate brown; they’d make a good stand-in for something a neanderthal would wear. erwin grunted and beat a fist against his chest twice. levi put up a fight but he loved every moment of it. he kicked his feet, letting out a yelp when erwin threw him onto the bed, pushed his sweater up, and sank his teeth into the meat of his neglected ass.

* * *

erwin woke some mornings to find levi lying on him like a warm stone. they touched from head to toe and levi’s sleep-tossed hair would tickle the hollow of his throat. erwin stroked the dark strands until levi woke and stretched. he kissed erwin, made verbal note of morning breath, and kissed him again. erwin laughed as levi slipped back into sleep until they really did have to get up.

* * *

given his profession, erwin was very interested in how people looked. when he spoke to someone outside of work, he thought about how they could benefit from an eye lift or a nose job. he never said anything, of course, but it was always something that came to mind. he was disappointed when his assistant left. petra had been working for him for a few years and they had a good, effective professional relationship. a client of his, a model named mike, had suggested an acquaintance for the vacant position. levi, he explained, wasn’t much of a people person but he was punctual and diligent. he had worked for mike’s friend on several graduate projects and seemed a perfect fit for the workflow erwin had established. as he’d done with petra, erwin studied levi intently during the interview and he was struck dumb by what he saw. levi was short and trim. his clothing were unremarkable but tidy and he had the most desirable face erwin had ever seen. sure, his eyes were heavy-lidded and his lips were thin and there was a jarring sharpness to his jawline. there was also a pallor that would have looked like illness on anyone else. any one of his features on someone else wouldn’t have worked at all but together, on levi’s face, it was absolute perfection. “are you imagining what kind of work i need done?” erwin unfolded and then folded his legs. “no, actually. if i may, i’d love to take some pictures.” levi arched a thin, pissy brow and dr. erwin smith, plastic surgeon to a great multitude, knew he would never meet something with such pulchritudinous symmetry and he spent the next two years trying to get closer to it.


	7. Chapter 7

some nights, levi wanted nothing more than to fall into bed. face first. and sleep. it was a simple wish. he always had erwin to get him back up if there were things that needed to be taken care of. erwin always guided him into the bathroom, shimmied him out of his binder, and began to rub his shoulders while levi put toothpaste on his brush. ”looks like someone had a bit too much fun with hanji.” levi sighed. “yeah. they can be a handful. cutting my hair leads to going out somewhere and that always leads to…” ”i know.” erwin’s massage deepened and levi curled like a well-pleased cat. ”god, that feels so fucking good.” ”yeah?” erwin pressed a kiss to his throat, worked his way up to nuzzle behind levi’s ear. ”i missed you today.” a hand slipped into levi’s underwear and touched just right. he twisted again and he gasped. he didn’t feel so tired anymore. “ah. yeah. i missed you too. christ.” erwin’s laugh was soft but deep. his fingers always knew where to touch, how hard and how often. “like that?” “you know i fucking do.” erwin withdrew his hand and made a show of licking his fingertips. “come to bed and i’ll continue.” levi had never washed his face so quickly.

* * *

isabel had called them blood roses, bruises. levi has garnered them in matters of love and war. he bears them on his ribs from a breath-stealing impact with a tree and the occasional strap pulled too-tight. he wears them with pride. high up where the hair thickens around his groin, at the back of his neck, bony curve of ankle. erwin’s lips are always firm, teeth tender on his skin. levi doesn’t tell him to stop because the hurt is a sweet rebirth each time. he wears the forever-blooming bouquet on his skin as if his bones and steel-taut will are the vase keeping them alive, feeding the trimmed stems of his existence in vain.

* * *

They should have been asleep like everyone else but nights where they were left completely alone were too good, too rare to pass up. Erwin came out of his washroom to find Levi shrugging his shirt on. It was overly large, drowning his hands and brushing mid-thigh. He brought the collar up to his nose to inhale the sweaty scent of Erwin’s skin. It was a night to take things slow. Levi kept the shirt on. Erwin knew what people thought of Levi, how much they overlooked. His shortness and acerbic personality made them forget about the sharpness of his eyes or how beautifully soft and pale his skin was. Perhaps it was because they never saw Levi like this, stripped down until it was only flesh and bone and muscle between them. He planted one hand beside Levi’s head, the other drawing up a slim thigh and pinning it to the mattress by the back of the knee. It opened him completely and Erwin swallowed a gasp as he began to thrust. Levi ran a hand through his hair, fingers tightening. It left his one vulnerability open and Erwin fell upon it in his hunger. He sucked blossoms of blood into his skin, nipped at the juncture of neck and shoulder until Levi’s knee pressed Erwin’s sides. His breath quickened as did the pace and Levi clung to him, no longer touching the rumpled sheets. Erwin came, wrapping an arm around Levi’s waist to lower him. Levi panted against his ear and Erwin could feel the heat of his blush. He knew Levi didn’t care for the mess of come within him and between them but Erwin also knew he cared too much about this rare moment of intimacy to take care of it now. That would happen in its own time.

* * *

between classes on economics, erwin read the epic of gilgamesh out on the quad. he would have preferred to study history - all the wars and love affairs - but his father had been right: a degree in business would open more doors and ultimately offer him the means to travel if he could ever get time off work. enkidu had just appeared when erwin's attention was drawn to a froth of pale green hair across the grass and cobblestone paths. levi was an enigma wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a fluffy lavender sweater. erwin had never seen anyone like him. he wondered if levi's minty-seafoam hair smelled as good as it looked. he wondered if those cute lips always looked so freshly-bitten. sliding his book blindly into his bag, erwin stood. he'd been pulling the threads of his courage together taut and figured now was the time to introduce himself. levi was a quiet person. erwin knew he was studying veteranarian science and that he was the only person the magpies were actually friendly with. in erwin's dreams, levi was the disney princess who cleaned while birds made the bed and rabbits put together a spot of tea. "any particular reason you're staring at me?" his voice was so beautiful, strangely deep yet soft. it was a voice to calm a terrified animal caught in a hunter's trap. erwin hadn't realized he'd wandered so close, drawn into the sizzling purple center to levi's quietly electric presence. "your... hair." "yes?" erwin didn't know why he reached out to touch it - who but a creep would do that? - but he did, running his fingers through the pale mess and sweeping it to one side. levi's eyes narrowed but he remained silent. the hair fell back across his forehead. "do you always do that to someone you've just met or-?" "just you." erwin hiked his bag onto his shoulder and smiled in a way that he hoped was breath stealing, heartbreaking, devastating. levi rolled his eyes but a smile cracked the tight seam of his lips. "come on. you can buy me a cup of tea." "really?!" "down boy," levi said before turning and heading for the cafe just east of campus.

* * *

erwin thought he leaned in a little too close, hot breath washing across his breastbone and down into the open neck of his shirt. if anything, levi was a careful, exacting person so such attention would lend itself to shaving as well. he clutched the straight razor in a firm grip, whisking away lather and stubble with a barber’s precision. erwin held his breath each time, feeling ridiculous because he knew levi would never intentionally hurt him. what if they had been in this situation from the beginning, when levi had been trying to kill him? would he have cut through muscle and bone without a thought to get what he wanted? the tip was poised against his pulse, levi’s eyes meeting erwin’s. i could, the look said. i could kill you so easily right now. levi shaved away the last bits and rinsed off the razor. but i won’t. you mean too much to me for that to even be a thought anymore. erwin reached for a warm, damp towel only for levi to get to it first. his touch was gentle as he patted away the remaining daubs of shaving cream. "good?" erwin touched the hand on his throat. he nodded, and smiled when levi didn’t leave his spot on the bed for a very long time.

* * *

"Come on," Erwin said. "Time for bed." "You’re not my goddamn father, Erwin." Levi had always been rough around the edges. People saw his clean nails and crisp cravat and expected something different from what came out of his mouth. Erwin tried not to have such assumptions about people. The ones he had for Levi had been somewhat correct, however. He sure as hell could fly, and he sure as hell could swear. "It’s late." Levi’s gaze shifted to the clock on the wall and his eyes closed in defeat. When they were able, they spent the night in Erwin’s room. Levi had a few things in his bathroom so he could prepare before going to bed. Erwin would never say as much but the irregular routine was comforting in a way. Erwin sat on the bed, removing his bolo tie and setting it on the nightstand. He pulled Levi between his knees with a hand around one thigh so they could undress each other. Levi paused in unbuttoning Erwin’s shirt to fix some strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead. Their eyes met for a moment - steel and sky. Erwin ran sure fingers along Levi’s jaw in thanks. Levi left without a word, emerging several minutes later with clean teeth and scrubbed skin and only his underwear on. Erwin waited patiently with his back against the headboard. He shifted so Levi could straddle him. Levi rose to his knees so they could kiss properly. Erwin liked Levi’s size, how both hands could almost touch around his trim waist. He knew it was a point of contention for him but Erwin knew someone taller and heavier - like himself - could never achieve the sheer grace with the gear that Levi did. It continued to still his heart to watch Levi take down a titan. The first kiss was hungry. Levi had always been made of sparks and he devoured so many things in his spirit’s quest to burn all he touched. Erwin’s didn’t mind being consumed. He grabbed a buttock, guiding Levi in a grind against his stomach. They pushed past the bruises and fatigue of a long day’s work, tongues tangling as Levi was worked toward release. Erwin locked a hand around Levi’s neck, holding him in place as he came. Levi’s breath stuttered against his lips. His eyes were wide, one hand over Erwin’s heart. Neither knew how long they stayed that way but Levi shifted only to grimace. He was always breaking the spell Erwin tried to weave. "Shit, Erwin. Now I’m all sticky." He got off the bed and went to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Erwin sank onto the sheets. He could hear Levi muttering as he cleaned himself again. More than anything, Erwin loved Levi’s roughness; it allowed him to weather so many storms without losing sight, and gave Erwin something to polish into greatness.

* * *

Erwin gathered balm onto the tips of two fingers and warmed it against his palm. He started at the big toe, following the cracked nail to thick cuticle. Levi had once joked that he thought about removing his toe nails since they always posed a problem no matter how short he kept them. "Besides, my feet are fucked up enough from this as it is." Erwin thought they were beautiful. Levi’s battle scars, a testament of his dedication to his art. The next toe was slightly crooked from a break Levi had danced on. At the time, Erwin wondered why he seemed to be pained during practice. There had certainly been a fight over it but in the end Levi got his way; he always did. Levi gasped as Erwin ran balm-slick thumbs along the arch. His toes spasmed, his head arched back. He tried to pull away but Erwin only pressed harder. As much as it could still pain him, Erwin could never ask Levi to give up this part of his dancing. He knew it wasn’t his place to. Once he finished with one foot, he moved onto the next. Levi’s left wasn’t as bad as the right but he could still see the ravages of point dancing, blisters that had callused over again and again. Beauty from pain. When he’d ask why he’d done it - started on point to begin with - Levi had only shrugged. “Why not?” Erwin knew there was more to it than that, wondered if he would ever know the real reason. Levi lay back on the bed as Erwin finished. He accepted the kiss to the inside of his knee, the spot on his inner thigh that made his groin ache. Erwin kissed his way up, admiring the hardness of Levi’s body instilled with an impossible grace. "Why do you only dance on point for me?" Levi remained silent. Sometimes he didn’t know himself.

* * *

levi tongued the gold barbell piercing the underside of erwin’s cock. he kept the touch soft as a hand wandered up erwin’s chest, finding the loop of gold through his right nipple.and tugging until erwin grunted. “like that?” erwin’s fingers knit themselves into levi’s hair and pressed him back down. levi tucked on the bit of jewelry and smiled as erwin’s hips jerked up. “careful, boy.” levi took the head into his mouth, bottom lip around his frenum and pressing the piercing, hot and tight. he felt erwin’s hand move in his hair, relaxing but still guiding him down.

* * *

"i’m going to murder those kids. armin wants to pay attention but eren won’t leave him alone and mikasa’s always trying to reign him in, which only makes things worse. christ." levi stabbed at his salad. erwin chewed his sandwich thoughtfully and put a hand on levi’s thigh beneath the table. "it’s only a few more weeks and then it’s summer break. you won’t have to think about school things for a while. "another day is too long." "oh, mr. levi. i’ll help you grade papers tonight if you like." levi blushed. it was code for hard, uninhibited, dirty fucking.

* * *

it gets exhausting after a while, how the undead keep moving and multiplying while the ranks of humanity thin. levi finds snatches of sleep in erwin’s arms when the chance arises but they had to tread lightly. “how have you been sleeping?” as a sergeant, levi slept with his squad erwin, as a captain, spent his nights in the company of the top brass, going over plans until the early hours. “we’re going to get past this,” erwin would promise. levi only half listened. it had been seven years so far; who was to say it wouldn’t be seven more?


End file.
